St. Patrick, MO – It's tough to picture 800,000 people showing up for Macomb's Heritage Days celebration or 400,000 visitors making their way to Keokuk's Battle of Pea Ridge. But those extreme examples would be in line with what it's like for St. Patrick, Missouri.
Driving into town on the day before St. Patrick's Day, it's hard to believe that preparations are underway for the town's once-a-year event. There are no cars on the road and no one is out setting up decorations.
In fact, the only sounds are coming from the birds as they sit atop the trees near the Shrine of Saint Patrick.
All that changed in less than 24 hours.
The first Saint Patrick's Day visitors arrived early. Parking was already at a premium by 9:30 A.M.
Vickie Steinkamp of Quincy says she and her husband always try to make it over for the events in Saint Patrick. She says, "It's just so interesting. We especially wanted to come over with it being such a nice day. I have been here when it is nasty, but I just wanted to enjoy taking a day off work and coming over here."
Steinkamp was one of about 150 people who started their visit by walking through a grassy field next to the Shrine of Saint Patrick for the Shamrock Drop.
A low-flying plane dropped 10 ziplock bags of shamrocks They were stapled to blocks of wood and tied to large orange ribbons. Each bag of shamrocks was worth a prize.
Vickie Steinkamp's sister, Cindy Lohmeyer of Ursa, earned a set of Saint Patrick coasters. Uhlmeyer walked at least a mile into a neighboring field to find her shamrocks. She says, "Well, I thought I saw one fall out there. But the further I got, I could not see the little orange ribbon. Then I thought, walk a little more, and then I saw it. Then I thought, I hope one of these little kids don't run past me cause I am out of breath. But it was way out in the field."
Once she got her breath back, Cindy Lohmeyer, Vickie Steinkamp, and the rest of their family tried to figure out what their next stop would be.
The group had several options. They could visit the souvenier shop, stop by the post office to get the custom made cancellation stamp that is unique to Saint Patrick, or head back to the Shrine of St. Patrick.
The church was built more than 50 years ago. The highlights are the three dozen stained-glassed windows, which were made in Ireland, depicting Saints such as Peter, Anthony, and Francis. A side altar includes a large statue of Saint Patrick, holding a shamrock.
The church is very special to Ellen Krueger. Her great-great grandparents were the first settlers of Saint Patrick, Missouri.
Krueger was just in high school when she helped Father Francis O'Duignan raise the money to build the church. She says, "In 1980, he called me from San Francisco, where he retired and he asked me to revive the publicity. The finances were kinda low and we had lost our resident pastor. He was afraid we would lose the church. He said, 'Don't let them every close my church.' I told him I would do everything in my power to keep it, which I have down through the years."
The St. Patrick's Day celebration is by far the largest fundraiser for the church. Krueger says the event requires every member of the church to step up and be involved, especially when it comes to the food associated with the day.
Each family is required to provide two salads, two pies, and money for the meat that will be served during dinner. This year, the menu was ham and roast beef. Family members are also required to either cook some food ahead-of-time or on site.
At least 300 people picked up their dinner forks and helped to conclude the day that also included an afternoon mass, a grab-bag giveaway, and tours of the Shrine of Saint Patrick.
Ellen Krueger says the goal is to honor St. Patrick and the church on St. Patrick's Day. She says, "We celebrate it more or less as they did in Ireland years ago. It is kind of a religious holiday. Most people have the green beer and the parades and the razamataz and all that, but we don't. It's strictly a religious holiday."
Once the dishes are washed and the food is boxed up, the celebration at the Shrine of Saint Patrick is over.
In fact, a brief return to the town, the next day, simply reveals a large pile of garbage bags outside the church, green and gold shamrocks painted on the highway.
It also provides a feeling of peace and quiet that will remain for much of the year, until the residents of Saint Patrick Missouri do it all again next spring.